Thursday, July 31, 2014

Wine During the Nine Days

Wine During the Nine Days
Day: Thursday
Date: July 31, 2014
Parshat: Devarim
Yalkut Yosef: 551


Some people have the custom not to drink wine during the shavua shechal bo. Others have the custom not to drink wine during the whole nine days. Still others, including many Sephardim, do not have any custom to refrain from wine even during the shevua shechal bo. Regardless of ones personal custom, he may drink the havdala wine on motzei Shabbat even if the cup contains more than the absolute required amount. Other alcoholic drinks such as beer or liquor are not included in any prohibition. It is proper to not eat meat or drink wine the day after Tisha Be'av as well since the Bet Hamildash continued to burn through that day as well.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Tasting Shabbat Food That Contains Meat.

Tasting Shabbat Food That Contains Meat.
Day: Wednesday
Date: July 30, 2014
Parshat: Devarim
Yalkut Yosef: 551


It is forbidden to eat chicken during the nine days the same as meat. However a person who needs meat for health purposes should have chicken instead. Canned and dried meat are also included in the prohibition. Food that is cooked in a pot normally used for meat may be eaten during the nine says even if the pot was recently used for meat. On Erev Shabbat during the nine days one may taste from the Shabbat food even if it contains meat, since tasting from the Shabbat food is a mitzvah. If one mistakenly said a beracha on meat during the nine days, he should taste a little bit so that his bracha will not be in vain.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Meat That is Left Over From Shabbat

Meat That is Left Over From Shabbat
Day: Tuesday
Date: July 29, 2014
Parshat: Devarim
Yalkut Yosef: 551


There is a mahloket regarding foods containing meat that are leftover from Shabbat Hazon (the Shabbat immediately preceding Tisha Be'av) or from a Rosh Chodesh meal. Some poskim allow one to eat the food after Shabbat and some don't. One does not need to protest against those who do eat such meat during these days. This is especially so if the meat is being eaten for the seuda after Shabbat and one normally eats meat during that meal. One may not cook extra meat for Shabbat so that it will be left over to eat afterward.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Monday, July 28, 2014

Refraining From Eating Meat During the Nine Days

Refraining From Eating Meat During the Nine Days
Day: Monday
Date: July 28, 2014
Parshat: Devarim
Yalkut Yosef: 551


The accepted custom among Sephardim is to refrain from eating meat from after Rosh Chodesh through the tenth of Av. However, one may eat meat at seudat mitzvah, for example at a Brit or at a siyum of a friend. It is not okay to go to a siyum just to be able to eat meat, rather one must have some connection to the person making the siyum in order for it to be okay. Likewise, one who never makes a siyum with meat when finishing a masechet may not decide to make one now just to be allowed to eat meat during the nine days. Only if one normally does so may he make a siyum with meat during this time.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Haircuts During the Three Weeks

Haircuts During the Three Weeks
Day: Sunday
Date: July 27, 2014
Parshat: Devarim
Yalkut Yosef: 551


The Ashkenazic custom is for men to refrain for the most part from getting haircuts or shaving during the three weeks. The Sephardic custom is to be lenient in this regard and Sephardim may get haircuts and shave up until the the week of Tisha Be'av. Even if the Sephardic person is around Ashkenazim most of the time it is still permissible for him to cut his hair. If such a person decides not to cut his hair in order not to conduct himself differently than the people he's with, that is commendable. However he should say that he's doing it without accepting this custom upon himself. It is permissible for anyone during this time to trim their mustache if it gets in the way of eating. It is also permissible for an adult to cut a child's hair.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Friday, July 25, 2014

When Av Starts We Decrease Our Simcha

When Av Starts We Decrease Our Simcha
Day: Friday
Date: July 25, 2014
Parshat: Mas'ei
Yalkut Yosef: 551


When Av begins we reduce our simcha, this is accomplished in the following number of ways. One who has a court case against a non Jew should try to push it off until after Tisha Be'av. Likewise one who needs a surgery should should, if possible, push it off until after Tisha Be'av. One should also hold off on building and renovations (including painting) that are being done for convenience or to look nice. If he needs the space to live in, then the building may be done. It is also permissible to build a shul during this time since that is done for a mitzvah.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Thursday, July 24, 2014

People Who May Eat New Fruits During the Three Weeks

People Who May Eat New Fruits During the Three Weeks
Day: Thursday
Date: July 24, 2014
Parshat: Mas'ei
Yalkut Yosef: 551


A new fruit that may not be available for shehehyanu after Tisha Be'av may be eaten during the three weeks with a shehehyanu. If possible it should be saved and the beracha should be made on Shabbat. More exceptions to the rule against saying shehehyanu during the three weeks are a sick person, a pregnant woman who craves such a fruit, and a child who is too young to understand the significance of the three weeks. If a person accidentally ate a new fruit without saying shehehyanu he should stop eating and save it until after Tisha Be'av and say shehehyanu then.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

One Should Not Say Shehehyanu During the Three Weeks

One Should Not Say Shehehyanu During the Three Weeks
Day: Wednesday
Date: July 23, 2014
Parshat: Mas'ei
Yalkut Yosef: 551


During the three weeks we do not say the beracha of shehehyanu. If a person wishes to eat a new fruit or wear a new garment that would require him to say shehehyanu, he should wait until Shabbat and eat the fruit or wear the garment then. During the nine days however one should not wear the new garment even on Shabbat. If one said a beracha on a fruit not realizing that it was a new fruit and then remembered before biting into it, he should say shehehiyanu and then eat from the fruit. One should refrain from saying shehehyanu on the tenth of Av as well.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Music During the Three Weeks

Music During the Three Weeks
Day: Tuesday
Date: July 22, 2014
Parshat: Mas'ei
Yalkut Yosef: 551


During the three weeks we do not listen to music, whether live or recorded. However one may listen to music at a celebration that falls out during that time, like a Brit or a Bar Mitzvah that is being celebrated on the day of the birthday itself. Ashkenazim do not listen to music at all during the three weeks, even at a celebration. A Hazan may sing the prayers and one may sing his Torah learning. However aside from these one should refrain from singing songs that will cause him to become overly happy.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org


Friday, July 4, 2014

May an Ashkenazi Heat Liquid on Shabbat for a Sephardi




May an Ashkenazi Heat Liquid on Shabbat for a Sephardi

Please excuse the typo in Friday's DSH it should have read as follows:


Day: Friday
Date: July 4, 2040
Parshat: Balak
Yalkut Yosef: 318


As we have said previously, (see DSH from July 2, 2014) Ashkenazim are more lenient than Sephardim with regards to heating up liquid on Shabbat and may reheat liquid that has not fully cooled down. A Sephardic student in an Ashkenazi Yeshivah, or a Sephardic guest in an Ashkenazi home who sees his host putting a liquid dish on the plata for him does need to protest. As long as all the conditions necessary to return the food to the heat source (which we will mention in the future Gd willing) are met, he may partake of the dish. However the Sephardic guest may not ask his host to heat up the liquid.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

At What Point is a Dish Considered "Dry"?

At What Point is a Dish Considered "Dry"?
Day: Wednesday
Date: July 2, 2014
Parshat: Balak
Yalkut Yosef: 318


In order for a dish to be considered "dry" it does not need to be completely devoid of any liquid. Even if there is a small amount of liquid present in the food it is considered dry. If there is more than a small amount of liquid, like meat with a significant amount of gravy or soup etc. it may not be heated up on Shabbat. Ashkenazim are more lenient in this regard and may heat on Shabbat liquid that was cooked before Shabbat as long it hasn't cooled down fuly and is still warm.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org


Tuesday, July 1, 2014

En Bishul Ahar Bishul

En Bishul Ahar Bishul
Day: Tuesday
Date: July 1, 2014
Parshat: Balak
Yalkut Yosef: 318


There is a concept called "en bishul ahar bishul," there is no cooking after cooking, that applies to non liquidy foods. Therefore, a dry food item (as opposed to one with gravy) that has been fully cooked may be reheated again. Since it has been fully cooked already it does not cook again. Such a dish may be heated on a covered flame or on a plata even though it'll reach yad soledet bo.
There is a mahloket among the poskim with regards to a dish that contains liquid. Some poskim maintain that the concept of en bishul ahar bishul applies to liquid as well, and thus it may reheated. Others hold that liquid does cook again if it is reheated. Since it is a mahloket, although it is forbidden to heat such a dish himself, he may ask a non Jew to heat it up for him on Shabbat. It is imperative to keep in mind that it is only okay to ask a non Jew to heat a liquid that has already been fully cooked. If it hasn't yet been cooked one may not ask a non Jew to heat it, and certainly he may not heat it himself.


The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org